New Tenant Protections Coming to Goleta
GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – City Council Member James Kyriaco is hopeful about the new changes the city is planning to implement to protect tenants.
“We're really trying to address the homelessness crisis. We're seeing a sharp uptick in homelessness, particularly people that are living in their vehicles because of the high cost of housing," said Kyriaco, who mentioned how low vacancy rates act like a tax on renters.
Currently, a point in time count in 2025 revealed 160 unhoused individuals living in their vehicles, a 95% increase from the previous year.
“What happens is you're suddenly getting these large, consistent rent increases year after year. Wages aren't keeping up,” said Kyriaco.
The City of Goleta has had an ordinance for the last couple years that has provided breathing room for tenants struggling because of the high cost of housing and low vacancy rate citywide.
Currently, a landlord must provide just cause before removing a tenant.
The Goleta City Council wants to make sure landlords will give tenants two months relocation assistance in cases where the tenant is not at fault for the landlord’s decision to vacate the home.
Under the amended ordinance, landlords have to give tenants 120 days notice before a no-fault eviction.
Cases where the tenant is not at fault include an owner moving in, a substantial remodel, or even just withdrawal from market.
“With rents going for, you know, something like $3,400 a month for a two bedroom apartment, that's a real tough lift for working families to be able to come up with first and last and last month’s rent to be able to make ends meet and to be able to transition into new housing.”
Relocation assistance will either be $8,000 or the cost of two months of rent in cases where the cost exceeds $8,000.
Many landlords are not happy about it.
“That also seems excessive to me. You need to index it based on the number of bedrooms in a unit,” said one community member.
“When government increases tenant rights and reduces the rights of the property owner, the result is negative to both the tenant and the landlord. The rental property owner has hard earned capital invested in the property and will react accordingly. The availability of the rental unit will diminish and the property of the property will revert to a management company,” said a local landlord.
If a landlord wants to evict a tenant so they can take their unit off the market, it has to stay off the market for five years.
City staff originally proposed 10 years, but the council and the landlords who spoke said that 10 years was too long.
Once the second reading is conducted the tenant protection ordinance will go from temporary to permanent.
The ordinance will be formally approved at the council’s next meeting Tuesday, September 16th.
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